Look at the bright side, tomorrow when they're worth -1 instead of -3, you might just make it into the black again. Woohoo!

I wonder if we could set up a stock exchange for points based on speculative values. I still have a nest egg of points, with some shrewd trades and some future policy changes I could still be in the running for that car.

Yeah, that sounds like a lot. Or not a lot, but a lot of not. Something like that.

But you're still ranked as #12, so I guess that counts for something, right?

What was the point of the points again?

We've got Joe on record saying there are prizes - cars, boats, hovercrafts, I think even a yacht for points leaders. The question he has yet to answer is if they're all plastic and if so, still in the original shrinkwrap.

Yeah, that sounds like a lot. Or not a lot, but a lot of not. Something like that.

But you're still ranked as #12, so I guess that counts for something, right?

What was the point of the points again?

We've got Joe on record saying there are prizes - cars, boats, hovercrafts, I think even a yacht for points leaders. The question he has yet to answer is if they're all plastic and if so, still in the original shrinkwrap.

-32,000; that may be a points leader as well, right?

A taxpayer voting for Barack Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

Yeah, that sounds like a lot. Or not a lot, but a lot of not. Something like that.

But you're still ranked as #12, so I guess that counts for something, right?

What was the point of the points again?

We've got Joe on record saying there are prizes - cars, boats, hovercrafts, I think even a yacht for points leaders. The question he has yet to answer is if they're all plastic and if so, still in the original shrinkwrap.

-32,000; that may be a points leader as well, right?

It's gotta be up there (or down there to be more accurate). But no problem, all she has to do is make 2,134 posts tonight and she'll be in the black again. And if we all keep encouraging her with a barrage of thumbs ups as she does it, we'll all be up by 6,402 points and still way ahead of her.

randy wrote:We've got Joe on record saying there are prizes - cars, boats, hovercrafts, I think even a yacht for points leaders. The question he has yet to answer is if they're all plastic and if so, still in the original shrinkwrap

1:10 scale. You're on to him too!

‎"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." ~John Adams

Since you're no longer hiding posts, who are you protecting with this?

Are people so hypersensitive that it hurts their little feelings to get a thumbs down?

I don't have a problem with a thumbs down costing points. I don't really care about the points. I just don't think it's really fair to have it cost MORE points than an up thumb. Because the trolls will still post their hateful crap about cops or illegal immigrants or whatever, and their cronies will still thumb them up.

And those of us who try to balance that kind of nonsense out will get the bum's rush.

The goal here is to make people think about it more. The angle I'm going with here is the higher the cost, the more thought people will put into it.

That's also going on the assumption that members care about participation points, where they rank compared with other members, and winning that hovercraft.

-Joe

This is only going to make these blogs more one-sided because those who are the problem children could care less about participation points or status otherwise they would be aiming for more thumbs up of their own comments. This is a terrible theory. It's kind of like saying that only the criminals can have weapons because that is what you are accomplishing with this rediculous rule......arming the criminals.

I mean what is a participation point anyway? You are now docking someone for participating????

Only those who agree with others get the points while those who have an opinion otherwise get docked because they give a thumbs down to someone???? Do you honestly think these thumbs are going to mean anything after implementing this rule??? I will look at the thumbs and will often think that someone has more thumbs up because of the rule and not because their comment was popular. This is stupid.

I agree with Native totally and a great question was asked. Who are you protecting with this rule? I know the answer to it and I am pretty sure I understand why it wasn't answered. Those who post stupid comments are the one's who are protected by this rule.

TheDuke wrote:From my experience, they are only encouraged by those who stoop to their level and respond in troll like fashion. Trolls hate getting spanked. It requires far more effort, but the results can be satisfying.

Maybe you've encountered a different breed of troll than I have then, because in my experience, any kind of dissenting response sets them off. Reasoning with them is kinda like teaching the proverbial pig to whistle. It wastes your time and just annoys the pig.

I agree completely. Joe has just armed the trolls. These blogs just became less appealing and less entertaining for me.

Six thumbs up and zero thumbs down. Just goes to show how meaningful the thumbs have become with the new rule. They give absolutely no indication as to how others feel about a comment. Nice job pookie with providing a great example which I am sure was intentional.

Nice job Joe.....way to let a few determine a rule that a majority disagree with based on the comments here.

You may not like the thumbs down but that doesn't mean that they do not have an equal value as the thumbs up. The thumbs down should not be taken for granted and someone definitely shouldn't be penalized for giving one. If anything penalize those whose comments receive thumbs down's and reward them for thumbs up's or maybe you already do that I don't know because I really don't pay attention to the participation points that much as I am more concerned with what is being stated in the comments and how others feel about the comments. It is quite obvious that you are more concerned with participation points than you are about giving your customers an equal opportunity to agree or disagree with another comment.

Why are you docking someone who doesn't agree with a comment and want the thumbs to reflect an accurate opinion of how the majority feel about that comment. You just took all that away Joe. Think about it............Totally Wrong!!!

deniset4obama wrote:So what happens when people go NEGATIVE participation points?Cuz it will happen immediately with a fair number of people.

That will teach me to disagree with anybody on the DP forums! I rolled back to 967 points, so now I guess I'll thumb down as much as I want because I really don't care about points

I agree...who cares about the points! I really do not think I am enjoying the DP forum much anymore because the DP is attempting to limit the ability of the bloggers to show they disagree with a comment and at the same time are exaggerating the ratings of each and every comment by punishing someone simply because they want to reflect their disagreement with a comment by giving a thumbs down.

The DP is acting as if someone is going to lose an eye from getting a thumbs down. It really bothers me when a public forum is misleading and the DP forums just became less credible in my book. Docking someone because they disagree is a terrible idea.

That is soooo wrong. Just shows how rediculous this rule is. Why would anyone be negative with participation points anyway? Because they gave more thumbs downs than thumbs up? Not a good reason if you ask me and very unfair to that person especially when they have received over three times more thumbs up's than thumbs down meaning their comments are popular one's, have over a 1000 posts and value the option to give another opinion a thumbs up or thumbs down being punished when there just isn't enough time in the day to reply to each and every post.

The trolls are going to take over this forum because the DP is catering to them instead of those who actually have an opinion that is an honest and legitimate opinion. Those who complain about the number of thumbs down they are getting are the same one's that continuously post unpopular and unprofessional comments just to get someone else fired up and then they wonder why.

Here's an idea....how about rewarding those with honest and legitimate comments and punish those that are unprofessional, hateful, annoying, etc, etc, etc with their comments?

And I have a great way of doing so........Letting your customers give thumbs up or a thumbs down without being punished. Do you really think that is not a good idea???? If not.....then why because I haven't read a good argument against the thumbs down yet. Just my opinion.

I have really enjoyed the DP forums for many years but if they are going to start misrepresenting our comments by rewarding thumbs up and punishing thumbs down then I really can't say that I will have much respect for the DP and the way they regulate or monitor the forums because the DP is now showing that they can be very biased and very one-sided when making a decision regarding a comment or a blogger and that has lost some trust with me.

joem wrote:Inspired by this idea here: viewtopic.php?p=1566988#p1566988 (thanks, Funny!), as of tomorrow (Friday) every thumbs-down will now cost as much as one and a half thumbs-ups. As in: You get 2 participation points for a thumbs-up, and are docked 3 participation points for a thumbs-down.

The goal of this is to encourage those who use the thumbs-down to think more before using it.

The way the participation points system is built, this change is retroactive.

Flame away, Joe

Update: Starting Saturday, thumbs-downs will be worth -2 points, not -3 points. ALso, thumbs-ups will be worth 3 points instead of 2. And comments will be worth 15 points instead of 10.

just wondering, would it make sense to apply the same point system on the recipient side?for example, if someone receives a thumbs up, they would also get 3 participation points?also voting could be disabled on posts after a time period (week, month?) to prevent what funny was talking about.

Points? We get points? We get points for posting??? We get points for agreeing???

Wow! I didn't know there was such a thing as points. I was just posting my opinions and voicing agreement or disagreement.

What do the points mean? What are the points worth? Do the points serve a purpose??

If they mean anything at all by giving negative points for disagreement you have just killed any honest debate left available on this site. Guess I am done here. Now it is worse than most of the other sites instead of the same...

joem wrote:Inspired by this idea here: viewtopic.php?p=1566988#p1566988 (thanks, Funny!), as of tomorrow (Friday) every thumbs-down will now cost as much as one and a half thumbs-ups. As in: You get 2 participation points for a thumbs-up, and are docked 3 participation points for a thumbs-down.

The goal of this is to encourage those who use the thumbs-down to think more before using it.

The way the participation points system is built, this change is retroactive.

Flame away, Joe

Update: Starting Saturday, thumbs-downs will be worth -2 points, not -3 points. ALso, thumbs-ups will be worth 3 points instead of 2. And comments will be worth 15 points instead of 10.

just wondering, would it make sense to apply the same point system on the recipient side?for example, if someone receives a thumbs up, they would also get 3 participation points?also voting could be disabled on posts after a time period (week, month?) to prevent what funny was talking about.

I like this idea. It also adds an aspect for posting relevant points on the forums and getting rewarded for it. As for Funny's point, it seems a bit strange.

According to his description, he went back to an old forum posted a new comment and then got a thumbs down for his new post. To me there is no issue there. Someone disagreed with his NEW post on an OLD forum. That should be allowed. Now if people are searching all his posts and trying to give him thumbs down on things he posted months ago, that should be discouraged. This rule proposed by User would do just that, especially if you find a way to turn off the thumbs on any given posting after a week or month or any certain time period.